Buch mit Flügeln (Book with Wings), 1992-94Lead, steel, and tinCollection of the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Museum purchase, Sid W. Richardson Foundation Endowment Fund. © Anselm KieferEvery year since 1950 the German Book Trade Peace Prize is awarded at the Frankfurt Book Fair.The €25,000 award is given by the the German book publishers' and book-sellers' association, The Boersenverein.The award this year goes to Anselm Kiefer and it is the first time an artist has won.Those familiar with Kiefer's work know that the book plays an important role in his work. The jury acknowledged this relationship when giving Kiefer...
Only in Dubai : The Burj Dubai Opus
Note: The image that originally appeared in this post has been removed at the request of Mission Media, the public relations firm for Burj Dubai. Apparently it was leaked and "not approved" by the powers that be.*****************************When the Burj Dubai opens early next year it will it be the world's tallest building.In the lobby will be a copy of what has to be the world's tallest book.The 'Burj Dubai Opus' stands 15 feet tall.Emaar Properties, the developers of the Burj Dubai, have hired luxury publisher Kraken Opus to produce the book. The book will contain plans of the design and...
"A Few Principles of Publishing" by David Godine
This essay by David Godine appears in his latest catalog. As "pluck" would have it since the catalog was released word came that the Nobel Prize for literature was awarded to J.M.G. Le Clézio whose novel The Prospector was first published in America by Godine. Congratulations David!***********************A Few Principles of Publishing Somewhere, in my distant past, I read that publishing requires three ingredients: patience, perseverance, and pluck. I suppose the same could be said for any business, but at least these three prerequisites (and perhaps a fourth – pesos) apply with particular precision to this profession. Success, if it comes...
Sarah Palin’s Comic Appearance
In the early 1950's comic books were a big issue in Washington. Many believed that comic books were corrupting our youth by contributing to illiteracy and juvenile delinquency.How widespread was it? In 1954 there were Congressional hearings on the issue and the resulting Comics Code was the death knell for many popular comics. It was censorship at its finest.Words like"crime", "horror" and "terror" were know forbidden in comic book titles Also a no no was any mention of "vampires", "werewolves"and "zombies.""Tales from the Crypt" was a casualty of this madness.16 months ago, after a 53 year hiatus, a new issue...
The Literary Side of "Love and Death"
"I recall my first mystical vision. I was walking through the woods thinking about Christ. If he was a carpenter I wondered what he charged for bookshelves." - BorisFrom Woody Allen's 1975 film Love and Death; Allen's hysterical cinematic parody of Russian literature.Other literary tidbits from the film include:-"This is crazy I can't shoot a gun I was meant to write poetry" - Boris-there is a scene between Boris and his father where the entire dialogue between consists of allusions or direct references to Dostoevsky titles.-at one point during his brief stint as a poet Boris says while reading from...